Today, over 10,500 athletes representing 206 nations will converge in Paris, France, for the 33rd Summer Olympiad (Olympics).

The Paralympics games will follow in later August, also in Paris.

The first modern-day Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896.

Paris has a distinctive history of hosting the Summer Olympics. First in 1900 in conjunction with the five-month-long World’s Fair. The event was the first to host men and women athletes. A total of 95 events were conducted with 22 women and 975 men. Some of the events were underwater swimming, motor racing, track and field, and cricket. It was noted that this Olympic was the only game to use live pigeons as targets doing shooting.

In 1924, Paris again hosted the Summer Olympics, making it the first city to twice host the modern-day games. The number of venues increased to 126 with shooting, swimming, and Greco-Roman wrestling being the highest number of competitive events.

The 1924 event offered a number of firsts. Predominant was the construction of an Olympic Village which included modern washrooms, a restaurant, a library, and a post office. A few structures from this Summer Olympics are still standing. This includes the concrete cycle track outside of Paris, a field hockey stadium that will be utilized during the 2024 opening ceremonies, and a swimming pool that will solely be used for training purposes.

Over the past 50-plus years, the cost to construct and host the Olympics has been significant. In 1972, Munich, Germany, invested $1.01 billion, in 1993, Barcelona, Spain, invested $9.69 billion and in 2012, London, England, invested $14.96 billion.

French Olympic, business, and government leaders project this year’s Paris games will cost $10.6 billion.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and WXYZ-tv-7/Detroit note 17 Michigan residents will participate in both games. They are:

∫ Heath Baldwin of Kalamazoo in Track and Field

∫ Bobby Body of Eaton Rapids in Para Powerlifting

∫ Devin Booker of Grand Rapids in Basketball

∫ Kate Brim of Lowell in Paracycling

∫ Adam Coon of Fowlerville in Wrestling

∫ Aaron Cummings of Muskegon in Rugby

∫ Andrew Evans of Portage in Track and Field

∫ Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc in Track and Field

∫ Zach Hammer of Ann Arbor in Sport Climbing

∫ Hobbs Kessler of Ann Arbor in Track and Field

∫ Sorin Koszyk of Grosse Pointe Park in Rowing

∫ Evan Medell of Grand Haven in Para Taekwondo

∫ Alena Olsen of Caledonia in Rugby

∫ Hanna Roberts of Buchanan in Cycling

∫ Jayci Simon of St. Johns in Para Badminton

∫ Grace Stark of White Lake in Track and Field

∫ Abby Tamer of Dexter in Field Hockey

In Paris, for the opening ceremony, rapper and actor, Snoop Dogg will carry an Olympic torch while basketball legend, LeBron James will be an American flag bearer.

The opening ceremonies of both Paris games can be viewed on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo television channels. With time zone changes, consult your newspapers and web sites for specific broadcast information.

Replays can be viewed on www.nbc.com.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO. He frequently writes historic feature stories and op-eds for various Michigan newspapers. As a Vietnam-era veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve. He served on the public affairs staff of the secretary of the Navy. He grew up in Alpena and resides in suburban Detroit.

THE STATISTICS

Statistics and facts for the Paris Games:

∫ The smallest country to participate will be the Pacific Ocean country of Nauru with 12,100 residents. Their athletes traditionally participate in weightlifting, judo, and track and field.

∫ With a population nearing 170 million, Bangladesh has never won an Olympic medal. Bolivia, Cambodia, Honduras, Nepal, and Yemen also have never won a medal.

∫ Monaco has participated in 21 summer games and has not received a gold medal.

∫ With this year’s games of 10,500 athletes representing 206 nations, it is a 50/50 split for men and women.

∫ For six times France has hosted summer and winter games. The United States has hosted eight games with a forthcoming game in 2028 to be hosted in Los Angeles.

Research conducted for KNBC- tv-4/Los Angeles

US Summer Olympics statistics and facts:

∫ Since 1896 United States athletes have received 2,629 medals

∫ Amongst all participating nations, the United States excels in Track and Field with 827 medals

∫ In overall competing nations, the United States has been the leading nation 18 times

∫ The United States has never received a Table Tennis medal since it was first introduced in 1988

∫ The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee is located in Colorado Springs offering on and off-site training programs

Data from www.statista.com and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee